Signal-lantern



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A UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

JOHN 1I. PARSONS, ,OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

s|eNALLANTERN- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,697, dated June 28, 1892.

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To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PARSONS, a citi?v zen of the United States, residing at Wichita; inthe county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Train Signal, of which the following is a specifica JIOH. 1 My invention relates to an improvement in railway-station platform-lamps; and the object of my improvement is to combine with any suitable known station-lamp, devices whereby the same lamp may be used as a signal to stop trains at flag-stations both day and night. I attain these objects by the mechan-` ism described in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective front View of the lamp with my improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the lamp when turned to show the signals to an approaching train. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through 5, 6, and 3. Fig.4 is a View of the base or lamp case holder, upon which the lamp-case rests, also showing spring-catch bolt to hold the lamp-case in position.

Similar gures refer throughout the several views.

The lamp-case A, Fig. l, is similar to those to similar parts l in general use at most railway-stations, and is hung up or supported by a bracket on the front side of the station-building to light the platform at night. The lamp-case is made in various forms, the most common being of triangular shape with two panes of colorless glass in the two front sides. The back, top, and bottom are usually made of sheet tin or iron, provided with asinoke-jack l and lamp. (The lamp 14 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3.)

My improvement consists in attaching to the back and combining with any of the suitable known forms of station-lamps, two signal-glasses, and a signal-vane, so that when the lamp-case is turned partway around it also serves as a train-signal, both day and night, hereinafter more fully described.

The back of the ordinary lamp-case is usually made fiat and of one piece of sheet tin or iron. In my improvement I construct the sheettin or iron back with a vertical projection in the back, substantially as shown at B, Figs. l and 2. The projecting part is shown more plainly in sectional View Fig. 3. Through 5 6 8 this right angle or ovalshaped projec- .tion B is made about one-third the width of sheet metal, the front cover extending down into the lamp-case through an opening cut away from the top and back of the lamp-case, so that the lower end of cover 8 rests just below the back of the lamp-chimney. (See Fig. 3.)

In the projecting part B of the back I make two circular openings at 5 and 6. Over the opening 6 I placecolorless glass, and over the opening 5 green glass, both secured by ordinary tin fastenings 2 and 9, and on the back or outside of projection B, over one or both of the openings on the outside, I secure a colorless glass-lens. (Shownin Figs. 2 and 3.) The space covered by the projecting back B and hood 8 8 is cut away from the back and top of the lamp-case, so that the light from the lamp may refiect from all sides of the projecting back and inside the hood. A reflector 7 is placed just below the green glass 5, directly in front of the lamp 14, to throw the light toward hood-reliector 8 8. The top or cover 8 S of the hood is made oval-shaped, or may be made fiat on an incline shown by dotted lines 4 4. The cover is shaped and made at the proper angle for a reector to throw the light from the lamp directly through the colorless glass 6. This cover is made of sheet metal having a refiective surface on the inside. IVhen made of material that will not reflect the light properly, I place a separate suit-able reiector in the hood at an angle shown by the dotted lines 44. This reflector is held in position by metalfastenings. (Not shown.) At the top and on the back side of the hood I attach the vane l0 l1, made of tin, sheet-iron, or other suitable material. A circular opening is cut out in the center of the vane to iit over the glass 6. The front side of the vane is painted black or any suitable color. The back side, Fig. 2, is painted in two colors. One half l0 is painted green, the other half l1 is painted white, so that when the vane is turned to the proper position it shows a white andV green day-signal. The glass over opening 5 being green and directly in front of the lamp 14, and by reason of the refiection of the IOD light from the lamp by reflector 7 and 8 through colorless glass over opening 6, shows a White and green signal at night. The vane is securely attached to the back of the lampcase, and is always in the same position as the night-signals. The lamp-case is held in position lin front of a station-building by support and brackets. (Shown in Fig. 4.) The base C is made of cast metal with a vertical rim; and vertical notches 13 13 13in the rim. Thel base is securely fastened and held stationary to the building or a post by brackets 12 12. The lamp-case A, to which is secured a springbolt 3, rests on the vertical rim of the base and is held in position by a bolt 4through the bottom of the lamp-case and base shown at 15 15. The 1am p-case revolves on the base and is held in any one of three positions by the spring-bolt 3 engagingin one of the notches 13 13 13.

The operation of the signal is as follows: When not required to be used as a train-signal, the lamp-case stands as shown in Fig. 1, with the signals toward the station-building, and is used as a station-platform lamp at night. When required to stop a train, turn the lampcase by the knob of bolt 3, so that the signals Will show toward the approaching train, permittin g the bolt to engage in one of the notches 13 13, and the vane will show a combined White and green signal by day, and the White glass 6 and green glass 5 a combined White and green signal by night. A combined White and green signal is displayed to stop trains at {lag-stations. This is now done by means of a-white and green ilag, by day, and by a White and green lantern at night. The use of both ags and lanterns is dispensed with by the use of my improvement.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a railway-station lamp-case, of the vertical projecting back B, supporting the vane 10 11 and provided With green glass over the opening 5, colorless glass over the opening 6, hood-reilector 8 8, and reflector 7, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the lamp-case A, provided With a vertical rim underneath its bottom and the spring-bolt 3, and the base C, supported by brackets, said base having the notched vertical flange to inclose the said rim, and to be engaged by the springbolt, substantially as set forth.

JOHN H. PARSONS.

Witnesses:

CHAs. E. FRANK, J. H. RICHARDSON. 

